Three of Arsenal’s u23 squad joined the first team for a training session at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, as they continue to get senior opportunities.

From time to time, Arsenal run training sessions at the Emirates Stadium, and they did so again on Tuesday. It gives them a chance to get out on the pitch and practice in realistic conditions.

For Arsenal’s young players, it’s also an opportunity to get settled and feel at home on the pitch, even before they make their debuts. So it was good to see three youngsters involved in training this week.

Zak Swanson, Omari Hutchinson, and Zach Awe were the lucky trio called up on this occasion.

Swanson’s call-up is very much expected, given Takehiro Tomiyasu’s continuing injury absence. Arsenal are low on backup right-backs, which is Swanson’s natural position.

The 21-year-old is also one of the more experienced members of the u23s, and he arguably would have seen more senior involvement at Arsenal or elsewhere if not for a couple of untimely injuries.

Swanson made the bench against Wolves, and all the signs suggest he will again for the Watford clash.

Hutchinson is another unsurprising inclusion, given he’s now made the first-team bench on five occasions – all in 2022.

The winger is less likely to play now that Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Emile Smith Rowe and Nicolas Pepe are all available, but he’s the u23s’ standout performer and will surely get his chance eventually.

Lastly, Awe is available to provide cover at centre-back, another position where Arsenal are a bit light.

The tall 18-year-old made the bench for the away trip to Wolves, and Mikel Arteta seems to have taken a liking to him with all his recent involvement.

It would be quite the story if Awe played any first-team role this season, given he was still almost exclusively playing u18 football (not even u23) as recently as December.